Everything Oldie Is New Again

There's a radio shift - five to seven a.m. - on Thursday mornings on WRFL that the student who took it in September decided not to ever show up for.  It has caused the station's Program Director a great deal of grief.  A couple of weeks ago, I told him, "I can sub it until you find someone."  The autumn had been generally mild, & I didn't see the harm in waking up early just to play on the radio for a couple of hours.  Then a cold front swept through...

It'll be in the 30s (Fahrenheit) tomorrow morning.  Brrr.  But I am a little glad that I am temporarily holding down this spot - my first radio show, on KVRX, in Austin, was from five to seven in the morning, starting in August 1994.

Which means I've been doing this for almost twenty years.

At the time, KVRX was a few years old, but had never broadcast on air in Austin.  Those were the days of "cable fm."  In fact, KVRX had just changed its call letters from KTSB in anticipation of getting an fm license (there was - is? - a KTSB elsewhere).  When I went to KVRX in the summer of 1994, I had no desire to be a disc jockey - I had just wanted to volunteer & help out, maybe review some CDs.  I didn't know I'd be starting a lifelong love affair.  Someone should have warned me!

In those days. two long decades ago, I didn't have a car, so I'd wake at 3:30 am, shower, & walk to the station.  I lived near 45th street & Red River in Austin, so the walk would take about 45 minutes.  It was Texas, so there was rarely, if ever, terrible weather with which to contend.  I don't remember, for example, having to walk in extreme cold or rain.  I must have - but I walked everywhere in those days, or bussed.

Now I get up, let the dogs out, brush my teeth, & drive to the station in the cold.  I bet that WRFL is closer to me now than KVRX was.  But I don't trust weather reports - it might be below freezing tomorrow morning.

Before WRFL got rid of three-hour blocks, I separated the three hours I spent on the radio into two shows, Self Help Radio & a freeform show I called "Sugar Substitute," after the wonderful Luxuriator song.  I even archived those shows.

But I'm not calling this little two hour block Sugar Substitute because it ain't my show.  It's just me helping out, making sure someone else doesn't have to schlep up to the station at a godawful time of the morning to drowsily spin tunes.  Except it isn't godawful.  No one's on the road.  It's strangely peaceful.

Except, you know, that one person who's driving like he (it's usually a he) really fucking needs to be somewhere twelve minutes ago even though there's no one but me on the road with him.  If he could honk & curse at me for taking my sweet time he would.

This little detour on the radio has reminded me how much I liked the world when it's mostly asleep.  Part of my misanthropy, perhaps, or memories of staying up late & wandering around Garland, Texas, at a young adult trying to figure out life.

Now, though, I kind of wish I had been able to spend that time on the radio.  The closest community radio station to where I lived was (& still is) KNON in Dallas.  I can't even imagine how far of a walk that would have been.